Unofficial Minecraft Life Hacks Lab for Kids: How to Stay Sharp, Have Fun, Avoid Bullies, and Be the Creative Ruler of Your Universe (Volume 20) (Lab for Kids, 20)

I gave him this book for Christmas and he grabbed it quickly to see. He loves it!

Unofficial Minecraft Life Hacks Lab for Kids is book 22 (of 24 currently) in the Lab for Kids series. Released 2nd July 2019 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in a flexibound workbook and ebook formats. Aimed at middle grade readers and their adults (parents, guardians, school resource personnel/teachers etc), it uses analogies from Minecraft to roleplay real life situations and to model positive solutions.Despite being a 'gaming' book, this little lab book includes some really good introductions and exercises for very important life skills such as good communication, empathy, cooperation, problem solving, leadership, self confidence building, and many more. Most of the units include sidebars with new vocabulary or definitions. The information is presented in a positive manner and is never strident or intimidating (or preachy). There are 24 lab units included in the book as well as a comprehensive links and resources list for further exploration. The book also includes a simple cross referenced index.This is a fun and worthwhile book. It would make a great classroom library book, resource book, homeschool resource book, or support text for a module on social studies subjects like relationships, bullying, social interaction, etc for kids 7-10(+). There's also a wide range of activities and most of the experiments use easily sourced materials. The photography is appealing and many of the photos use the familiar pixelated Minecraft graphics.Five starsDisclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book is far too complex and advanced for kids. Here are some of the projects:-Get your community involved in a "Campaign against Plastic Pollution"-Raising real money for a charity-Making your own movie on the computer including costumes and music.None of the projects require Minecraft to be involved at all. The whole Minecraft theme feels forced and unnatural.Some of the projects are of the easier variety but still involve a lot of high-level mental tasks and finding multiple people to participate with you. Every project will require a ton of parental help. Each project if done properly would take many hours if not days or even weeks. This book seems more fit for high schoolers and beyond but I'm not sure what young adult would have the time and interest to voluntarily do a Minecraft-themed book to "better themselves".On the positive side, this book is organized very nicely with a lot of helpful pictures.

I love this book so much I could almost cry.Let me explain.Both of my kids have ADHD, which among other things, mean they've never quite played like other children. Neither one of them have ever really been into toys. My son does science, and has tons of rocks and specimens and loves a microscope. My daughter's main passion is Minecraft. Honestly, I can't even get irritated with her when she plays it, as at least that gives her some commonality with her peers. Now my son is starting to play, and I'm overjoyed.This book takes this sometimes-irritating-to-parents game and twists it such that all roads in Minecraft lead to the real world. From the very beginning, in which the authors discuss "noodling" which leads to a discussion about how to be a good listener when talking to others, to the section on mastering self control (probably easier in the game than IRL), this book weaves the cubic world of Minecraft into the day to day life of a kid. They also expand ever-outward into the environmental realms (plastic pollution) and how to talk to old farts like me. There are tons of arts and craft projects in here as well, most of which tie into the rather large concepts they're building upon.This is one of those wonderful books through which kids don't really realize they're learning. I plan on casually planting this on my daughter's desk and have little doubt she'll read it. She's read the entirety of several different series on Minecraft...this should be no different. To the authors, THANK YOU!

This book isn't quite what I imagined it would be, but it's a pretty cool book. It includes projects to help a child become a better person, all of which revolve around Minecraft. For example, one of the projects is to interview a person about their childhood(like a parent or grandparent). This helps develop their listening skills and it gives them quality time with someone. Afterwards, they develop a plan to build that person's childhood home in Minecraft. Another project is to build a "den for the day", either by themselves or with friends. Then they get to enjoy it the rest of the day. After that, they're supposed to interview people from their community to see what they look for in a "perfect space" in the community. Based on their answers, the child will create that space in Minecraft. Any of the projects can be skipped if they don't work for a child. Based on project books I've seen, these are more detailed and creative. They take time, effort, and focus. Many of them will take cooperation and help from parents, especially depending on the age of the child. It has potential to create great qualities in a child and special memories, too, though.